Dry-cell battery and process of assembling the same



Patent ed .July 1924.

uni-TE STATE PATENT o IE RANK' H. WRIGHTAND FREDERJ ICK A. KELLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL CARBON N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.-

DRY-CELL BATTERY AND PROCESS or ASSEMBIiiNG m SAME.

Application filed may as, 1922. Serial No. seams.

all whom it may concern:- Be it lmown that we, FRANK H. WRIGHT and FREI)ERICK A. KELLER, citizens of the" United States, residing at N'cw York, in.

Processes of Assembling the Same, of whichv the following is'a specification.

This invention relates to electrical batteries'formedof a plurality of dry cells assembled in fixed relation in a casing, and to processes of assembling such batteries. A particular object of the invention is to provid" a construction in which the cells are p'rotected'from access of external moisture and in whichleakage of electrolyte from the cells is positively prevented.

A moisture-proof, non-leaking construction is desirable in batteries designed. for general service, and these qualities become of the highest importance for uses in which small fluctuations of E. M. F. are detrimental, as, for example, in apparatus for radio commumcation. The series-connected battc'ri s, termed plate batteries, or B bat-- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery,

partly broken away, and showing the embedding plastic about aportion of the cells oniy, and i ig. *2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line IIII, Fig. 1, the cells being shown in elevation.-

Referring to the drawing, numeral 1 denotes a battery box or casingiwhich may be made of cardboard, wood or other suit- .a-ble'material. A .sheet of corrugated cardboard 2.; or similar materiah isplaced at the bottom of the box. The cardboard is-preftribution of the sealin sequently described; ells' 3 are arranged a coatin erably impregnated with parafiinto render it electrolyte-proof and toaid. in the disin the casing upon the corrugated sheet, and are preferably compactly assembled in three rows of five; cells each. Connectors 4:.j0il'l the'cells in series and'external terminals 5 and 6 are provided.

:When thecells are roperly assembled in the casing, an insulatln'g sealing compound is made fluid by heating and is poured about the cells, preferably in" quantity sure that the plastic, indicated by numeral 7, shall fillevery space beneath and around the cells,'we prefer to use a relatively fluid mixture.

Price/ COMPANY, INC.,.'OF NEW YORK,

compound, as subsufficient to embed them up to a point ad- .To further insure that the sealing com-v pound shall form a continuous lay r under the cells, the corrugated cardboard carries tioned. hen the hot sealing compound reaches the cardboard, it melts and dissolves the parafiin. The resulting modification of its composition materially increases the fluidity of the sealing compound and it readily passes through the corrugations,

solidifying therein to form a solid, impervious base .for the cells.

The corrugated cardboard which is thus embedded in the sealing compound in. the bottom of the casingretains-some parafiin even after the pouring of the hot sealin compound. It provides a moisturc-proo of parafiin, as previously mennon-frangible reinforcing member coexten sive with the bottom of the casing. The sealing material is much less liable to fracture because of this reinforcement and T the sheet of moisture-proof material is sutlicient to prevent the entry of external moisture even if i the plastic sealing material should develop fissures.

After the compound -7 has been filled into the container, the battery is sealed by flowinga suitable plastic 7' over the cells, prefarably in amount suflicient to fill thecasmg (1. This plastic preferably has a'materially;

manner before assembly in the casing, or

they may be sealed by the plastic 7 In the form of the invention illustrated,

the cells are each additionally protected by a cylindrical jacket 8 of electrolyte-proof material, which may be'paper coated with parafiin or asphalt. This jacket serves to prevent the temperature of the interiorof the cell from rising to an objectionable (X tent when the hot sealing plastic is introduced, and also obstructs the. passage of liquid from the cell throu h fissures in the plastic, which sometimes develop when the battery'is subjected to shocks. I

The invention is not limited to cylindrical cells arranged as shown. Flat cells, or cells of any other desired type, as well as any. desired arrangement, may be adopted. We are-aware that battery constructions in which the cells are embedded in a plastic are old, and we make no claim to this subject matter broadly.' The'present invention, as defined in the appended claim, is distinguished. from such constructions by the provision of an improved structure and method for fa'cilitating'the production of the batteries and for insuring the continuity and impermeability of the plastic surroundin the cells.

i a e claim: Y

1. A battery comprising a casing, a .plurality of cells therein, sealing material completely encasing said cells, and a reinforcmg member of moisture-proof material in thie1 portion of the sealing material under the ce 8.

- 2. A battery comprising a casing, a plurality of cells therein, sealing material comletely encasing said cells, and a continuous ayer of, non-frangible moisture-proof. ma-

terial embedded in the sealing material under the cells and substantially coextensive with the bottom of said casing.

3. A battery comprising a casing, a plurality of cells therein, an insulating, water-' proof cylinder encasing each of said cells, a sheet of insulating material beneath the cells and spaced in part from the bottom of the casing, and a sealing composition abou't'said cells and between said sheet and casing.

4.'A battery comprising a casing, a plurality of cells therein, corrugated material at the bottom of the casing and supporting I the cells, and a sealing composition about than that used for em- It will be understood.

said cells and filling the corrugations of said material. I

5. In a battery, a casing, a plurality of cells in said casing and positioned to receive an insulating plastic therearound, and means for facilitating the distribution of the plastic in a desired portion of the casing, said means comprising a member carrying a substance miscible with the plastic and adapted to increase its fluidity.-

v6. In abattery, a casing, a plurality of cells in said casing and positioned to receive an insulating plastic therearound, and means providing channels under the cells and supporting the cells, said means carrying areadily fusible substance adapted to dissolve in the plastic and to increase the; fluidity thereof.

7. Process -of securing efiicient distribution of plastic used for embedding battery cells, comprising placing adjacent said cells a substance miscible with the plastic and adapted to increase its fluidity.

' 8. Process of embedding battery cells in a plastic insulating composition, comprising placing adjacent a portion of the cells a substance adapted to increase the fluidity of the plastic, and introducing-the plastic at a temperature suflicient to cause admixture of said substance with the plastic, whereby the fluidity of the latter is increased and uniform distribution obtained.

' 9. Process of securing 'eflicient distribution of plastic used for embedding battery cells, at a point remote from that at which the plastic is introduced, comprising placing paraflin adjacent the bottoms of said cells,

and filling the plastic into the battery at a temperature s uflicient to cause it to dissolve the paraflin, whereby the fluidity of the plastic is increased.

. 10. Process of assembling a battery, com- I prising encasing aplurality of cells in waterp'roofinsulating jackets, placing a corrugated. cell-supporting sheetimpregnated with a readily fusible substance in the bottom of a casing-assembling the cells in said "casing, and filling the spaces about and beneath the cells with a plastic insulating material adapted to dissolve saidreadily :Eusible substance and to have its fluidity'in creased thereby.-

In testimony whereof, we aifix our signatures.

' FRANK H. WRIGHT.

FREDERICKA. KELLER. 

